Sexual harassment in the military

An alleged victim of sexual harassment refuses to return to Iraq for a second tour of duty.

Published September 19, 2006 5:17PM (EDT)

Make sure to take a few minutes and read today's Washington Post piece about Army Spc. Suzanne Swift, 22, who was arrested in June for going AWOL. Swift, who had completed one tour of duty in Iraq, claimed to have been unable to return for a second deployment because of the sexual harassment she experienced the first time around. After her arrest, Swift explained that she had been harassed in three separate instances while serving overseas. One of those incidents has been confirmed by Army officials, but on Friday, officials ruled that the other two could not be substantiated. Now, Swift may face a court-martial, possible jail time and a dishonorable discharge.

More than 130,000 women have been deployed since 2001.


By Rebecca Traister

Rebecca Traister writes for Salon. She is the author of "Big Girls Don't Cry: The Election that Changed Everything for American Women" (Free Press). Follow @rtraister on Twitter.

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